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Croatia's performance in the World Cup semi-finals reconciled supporters with their team and removed the spotlight from the corruption that has hit the country's football in recent years.
Luka Modric was in anticipation of the clash against England on Wednesday, coach Zlatko Dalic and the players are celebrated as national heroes and their names are sung in the streets of Croatia, while they are described. as embodying courage, perfection and humility.
But only a month ago the situation was very different.
"Pray God that they lose everything!" read graffiti and banners, dating from the Euro 2016, including in the coastal city of Split and its surroundings.
"Each of your defeats makes us happy, Split wishes you the worst!" Reading a banner on a bridge in Split after a defeat of Brazil in June
Critics say that obscure management within the Croatian Football Federation has led to great animosity among football fans and the public towards the federation and football.
The country has been repeatedly punished by FIFA and UEFA against unruly supporters known for throwing flares at matches and chanting fascist slogans.
Recently, Dejan Lovren and Modric were targeted. Dinamo Zagreb club, businessman Zdravko Mamic, sentenced in June to six and a half years in prison in a multi-million euro corruption case.
Mamic, widely regarded as the true patron of the Croatian federation, is
Both Modric and Lovren testified during the Mamic trial, during their transfers from Dinamo Zagreb.
Modric's testimony, visibly confused and unable to remember the year in which he made his debut on the national team, infuriated fans who feared that this would lead to to a reduction of sentence for Mamic
. accused of false testimony, punishable in principle to a term of imprisonment, while Lovren was the subject of an investigation
Anger forgotten
But the anger of the fans seemed to be s & d. Be forgotten after Modric's brilliant performances at the World Cup
Insufficient and outdated infrastructure in the stadiums, poor-quality refereeing and fan revolt against the federation and its leader Davor Suker have created a negative atmosphere around the team.
Although the success in Russia has raised the dark atmosphere, the problems "The worst thing is that all the trust of the society in football has been lost," said l & # 39; ex-international Dario Simic at AFP in April
Worshiped gold champion of the World Cup 1998, he is hated by fans because he was appointed head of the federation in 2012 because of Mamic's lobbying and is accused of being He was re-elected for four years as the Federation (HNS) head last year. A senior HNS official, Damir Vrbanovic, tried with Mamic and sentenced to three years in prison, has kept his post.
"The success of the team at the World Cup and all other issues are not related," told AFP sports journalist Robert Matteoni
"What's going on now "It is the consequence of pure football." A coach who can get the most out of them and that's where this result comes from. "
Necessary deep changes
After a spectacular victory over the penalties against Russia, Croatia will play England Wednesday in front of 80,000 people in Moscow Luzhniki Stadium for a place in the final of the World Cup
They repeated the success of the 39 1998 team that reached the semi-finals of the first World Cup of Croatia as an independent nation
. "Maybe football really gets home, where it belongs, to Croatia," commented the influential newspaper Jutarnji List, playing on the songs in England of "It's Coming Home" – – The theme song resurrected The 1996 European Championships.
"Croatian football has a chance to turn this page ugly … and start a new story," the newspaper said.
But he warned that "after the shower in the champagne of victory, not only cosmetic but profound changes should be made."
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![<img itemprop = "image" src = "https://static.pulse.com.gh/img/football/origs8600994/196636457-w644-h960/ 3c04a523c59178edfe849afbb640708dec7c0289.jpg "style =" max-width: 644px "height =" 429 "alt =" Croatian Football The President of the Federation, Davor Suker, witnessed the victory against Russia with FIFA President Gianni Infantino [19659012] The President of the Croatian Football Federation, Davor Suker, witnessed the victory against the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino (AFP)](https://static.pulse.com.gh/img/football/origs8600994/148972743-w900-h600/3c04a523c59178edfe849afbb640708dec7c0289.jpg){kind=link}